Today in Television History (September 9th, 1956): Elvis Presley Makes His First Appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"!
On September 9th, 1956, Elvis Presley made history when he made his iconic debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Approximately 60 million viewers tuned in to watch the iconic performance, which was an estimated 82% of the television audience at the time, and became the most-watched TV broadcast of the 1950s! Ed Sullivan previously had a ban on Presley appearing on his show, but after three highly-successful performances on other programs, Sullivan gave in and signed Presley to a $50,000 contract for three appearances. Presley performed four songs on the program: "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", and a cover of Little Richard's "Ready Teddy". Also, although it was highly controversial at the time, viewers got a full head-to-toe view of Presley, complete with his iconic "vulgar" hip-shaking gyrations.
